Friar Lawrence's Death

Getting involved in a family feud was punishable by death in Verona, Italy in the 1300’s. In the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, that is just the case. When people got involved in the family feud between the Capulets and the Montagues they were punished by death. When Juliet, from the house of the Capulets and Romeo from the house of the Montagues, fall in love, it must end in a tragedy. Knowing their families would never allow them to marry they married in secret but, things begin to fall apart. The main cause for the two lovers death is Friar Lawrence because he is careless, unprepared, and manipulative.

Friar Lawrence had a profound impact on the outcome on Romeo and Juliet however, in a way that led to catastrophe. He disregarded his own logic and became careless with his decision to marry Romeo and Juliet. The secret marriage was only possible because Friar Lawrence had said, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may prove to turn your households’ rancor to pure love”(2, 3, 90-93). Furthermore, he carelessly thought that the marriage would bring a end to the two houses’ feud, instead, it led to much destruction. Overall, Friar Lawrence's decision to marry Romeo and Juliet was a careless and illogical choice. This marriage led to many more mistakes made by

Friar Lawrence, especially because of how unprepared he was.
Being unprepared is an understatement when it comes to Friar Lawrence, he was unaware of all the disasters he created from all of his actions. Friar Lawrence designed a
faulty plan where he gave Juliet a sleeping potion so she would fake her death and not have to marry Paris. It was that potion, given to Juliet by the Friar, that started the chain of events, “That copest with death himself to ‘scape from it. An if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy”(4,1,76-77). Moreover, once he gave Juliet the potion he caused everyone to think Juliet was dead, even Romeo, which caused the two lover’s to die for each other. Another fault made by Friar Lawrence, is how he was unprepared and unable to give out the needed information for Romeo. Friar Lawrence did not stress the importance of the letter, “The letter was not nice but full of charge, of dear import and the neglecting it may do much danger. Friar John go hence”(5, 2, 18-20). In addition, the Friar was so unprepared and preoccupied with his other mistakes that he never got his message to Romeo that explained Juliet’s death was fake and that is what caused Romeo to kill himself. As a result of Friar Lawrence, he was so unprepared he never thought through his idea to fake Juliet’s death and never got the letter to Romeo. Not only was the Friar unprepared he also tried to fix the issues he caused by manipulation.
Friar Lawrence’s action are all made to try to help the two lovers to be together, but in all his actions do the opposite.

His manipulative ways are used to make Juliet’s death believable. After Juliet’s family found her looking dead in her bed, Friar Lawrence said, “And all the better is it for the maid. Your part in her you could not keep from death. But heaven keeps his part in eternal life”(4, 5, 68-70). This shows how Friar Lawrence manipulated the Capulet family into thinking Juliet was dead when she was not really dead. The friar being manipulative did not benefit anyone especially the Capulet family when he manipulated them into believing Juliet’s fake

death.
All in all Friar Lawrence is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet for he was illogical, a faulty planner, and devious. First off, he was careless enough to marry Romeo and
Juliet in secret and knew that they barely knew each other. Then he also made the mistake of being unaware of the destruction that was caused by his sleeping potion and not making the letter to Romeo as important as it should have been. Lastly, he manipulated everyone into believing Juliet was really dead. The whole Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is only possible because of the cruel and thoughtless man named Friar Lawrence. Never get involved in a family feud because it never ends well especially in the case of Romeo and Juliet.